Cuphead: Life Goes On
by yensid365
Summary: A year or so after defeating the Devil, Cuphead and Mugman face their greatest challenge yet: coping with the death of Elder Kettle.
1. Coming to Grief

Silence without serenity; stillness with a sense of foreboding; a feeling of calm clashing with that of rapidly-growing fear.

That was how it felt during the first few minutes without Elder Kettle. One minute, he was tearfully professing his love for his grandsons. The next, there lay nothing in bed but a shallow husk of china. This wasn't to say that it happened completely out of nowhere. The man was getting on in years, and his family couldn't afford the kind of medical treatment that would preserve his already very long life. Despite the Isles' long history of supernatural phenomena, none of the local mystics could conjure up anything guaranteeing immortality, aside from repeating the horrific mistake of making another deal with the Devil. Nevertheless, no matter how aware the boys were of this day coming, they still weren't ready when it eventually occurred. By the time he'd reached his final hours, Elder Kettle had stopped trying to escape his fate. Instead, he came to terms with it as a fact of life, a life that was as happy and fulfilling as it could ever be for him. Even as the last of his family stood before him, begging him not to go, Elder Kettle left this plane of existence with a smile, completely at peace.

It took a great deal of will power after such an intense shock, but the boys eventually forced themselves to leave their grandfather's bedside for the proper postmortem preparations. It was almost too painful to even look at their elder's corpse anymore. They didn't want to leave him, but, at the same time, there wasn't anything left to hold on to; just an empty shell in which a warm, caring, and loving soul once resided.

It was incredibly unnerving, the idea of something this traumatic and heartbreaking occurring in this cheery, colorful, whimsical world. Every other element of life, even death, had some sort of silly, cartoon-like slant, at least from Cuphead and Mugman's perspective. Seeing stars; pupils rolling in their heads; a giant lump that could be brought down with the swing of a hammer; any sort of injury or illness was presented with the classic "Rule of Funny" that usually dictated the rules of physics and natural order in Inkwell Isle. Here, there wasn't any of that. No soul to parry, no ghost to interact with; Elder Kettle was plainly, simply, and completely gone. This event was just another item of this world's never-ending list of questionable occurrences. The only real shock from it was how starkly it contrasted to the rest of Inkwell Isle.

Naturally, such a rare phenomenon of this magnitude could hardly be kept a secret. The news spread fast to the other residents in the isles, and, within the next half hour, virtually all of them had arrived at the boys' doorstep. Of course, there were exceptions. As much as the Devil and King Dice relished the misery of others, this particular soul was of no real value to them, which would make the experience more boring and pointless than anything else. Weepy also had to remain outside, lest he start flooding the house with his rivers of tears (more so than usual). Everyone else was either mourning by Elder Kettle's bedside, or offering any form of assistance or comfort to his grieving grandsons. Though the boys couldn't afford an official funeral, this was the closest to one as they were ever going to get, and they greatly accepted it.

Mugman was very receptive to his friends' kindness. He showed the utmost gratitude from even the smallest of favors, from a shoulder to cry on to an array of bouquets for his grandfather's grave. He also spent much of the time reflecting on all the fond memories he and everyone else shared with him, even mentioning some of the more humorous ones to bring some sort of levity to the situation. Though part of Mugman felt very much alone, being surrounded by all his friends and neighbors was all the more comforting to him during this troubling time.

Cuphead, on the other hand, expressed an entirely different demeanor during the pseudo-funeral. He kept himself isolated from the rest of the crowd, sitting at the top of the stairs with his arms resting on his knees. Instead of shedding any tears, his eyes gazed off into space, as though a million thoughts were racing in his mind at once. Friends like Cagney or Hilda had asked if there was anything they could do for him, but after a few times of giving them a cold "I'm fine," Cuphead retreated to his room, barring himself from any socialization altogether. He didn't even come out to watch the local ghosts deliver his grandfather's urn to the mausoleum.

It was as clear as day that Cuphead was anything but "fine." Many people, especially his brother, were very tempted to go upstairs, and insist that he come out and talk with them. However, they also bore in mind that perhaps this was Cuphead's way of grieving with such a tremendous loss. The last thing the poor boy needed was feeling as if his friends were trying to impose on him how they thought he should act in the face of his grandfather's passing. Although they had good intentions, everyone agreed it was best to leave Cuphead alone...for now.

After an almost sleepless night, Mugman dragged himself downstairs, and fried up some eggs and bacon for himself and his brother, hoping he'd at least be willing to come out and eat. He also poured a couple of glasses of orange juice, and, by force of habit, reached out to grab some English breakfast tea with sugar, before remembering that family connoisseur was no longer there to enjoy it.

Only seconds after setting the table, Cuphead tiredly made his way to the kitchen as well.

"M-Morning, Cups." Mugman chirped with a forced smile. "I made us some breakfast."

"Thanks," Cuphead responded rather brusquely as he sat down.

Although the meal was well-made by any standards, any appetite for it was practically nonexistent. Mugman forced a few bites of his eggs while Cuphead simply twirled his fork around the bacon, staring glumly down at the table. After a moment or so of awkward silence, Mugman nervously attempted to break the ice.

"I, uh, I put Hilda's flowers up as a centerpiece for the table," the young boy stammered. "That was really nice of her, huh?"

No answer. Mugman tried something else.

"It...looks like a really nice day outside. If you want, maybe we can go for a walk, or catch some butterflies, or see how the others are doing. How-How does that sound?"

Again, no response. He may as well be talking to an empty chair. Mugman let out a small sigh. He clearly wasn't getting anywhere with his grief-stricken brother. With a heavy frown, Mugman tried appealing to Cuphead's better nature.

"Listen, Cuphead. It's ok if you don't feel like talking to me, but...just know that I'm always here for you whenever you need it. I'm not gonna make you do anything you don't want to. I..." Mugman's voice quivered a bit. "I just don't want you to feel like you gotta be all alone."

At last, Cuphead looked up at his brother, his expression switching from dullness to sudden concern. Although he was referring to Cuphead in his offer of emotional support, it was a subtle, yet clear, sign of the same desire on Mugman's part as well. He may have sounded calm and collected in his words, but they were drowned out from the stronger signs of loneliness and misery in his facial and body language.

After a moment of staring longingly at his brother, Cuphead's face winced and twitched with anxiety, his clenched fists shaking on the table. "M-Mug, I...I-I uh..." Just when it seemed like he was ready to explode, Cuphead swallowed hard, forcing himself to regain his former composure. "D-Don't worry, Mug. We'll both be all right. I just...I need some time to think." At that, Cuphead excused himself from the table, heading back upstairs. Mugman's eyelids rose in bewilderment. He wasn't sure whether to feel hurt from Cuphead walking away when he needed help, or worried for his stability after just seeing him fight so hard with himself.

This sense of uncertainty became the norm over the next few days. The boys remained close, refusing to leave either one home alone for any reason. Ironically, despite such closeness, it was this same concern that also made them keep their distance. Although they deeply desired each other's companionship during this time of grief, something in their heads made them reluctant to act on it. Cuphead continued to isolate himself and battle his internal conflict while Mugman stayed away out of respect for his brother's time to "think." It was a paradox of perfectly painful proportions, and they both prayed that it would soon part.

Fortunately for Cuphead and Mugman, they didn't spend the week in completely shut out from the world. Once in a while, a friend or two would stop by, and ask the boys how they had been doing. Mugman was thankful and accepting of any company that was offered to him. Occasionally, there was activity involved, such as playing chess with Werner, Beppi fashioning a balloon animal bouquet, and even Djimmi performing some magic tricks. Most of the time, though, Mugman felt just as, if not more, satisfied with simply sitting around and talking, whether to listen to advice or have his friends hear him out. It may not have felt like the same sort of love and caring that Elder Kettle provided, but it definitely lifted Mugman's spirits knowing he still had so many people to look after him.

Although his friends offered this same comfort to Cuphead, he remained adamant in his desire to be left in solitude, which was starting to worry Mugman and the others. It wasn't as though they felt he was grieving in the wrong way; it was that, perhaps, Cuphead's self-imposed isolation was beginning to do more harm than good. Taking the time to contemplate and collect one's thoughts is an important part of the grieving process. In Cuphead's case, however, the extent to which he'd spent so much time alone left a greater impression that he wasn't allowing himself to be with anyone. He was never fond of asking for help, as it went against his self-image of being an independent, confident go-getter in virtually any task at hand. Never did Cuphead ever realize that coping with death and loss was going to be the biggest challenge he'd ever faced, enough to make fighting the Devil look tame.

Five days later, Mugman felt enough was enough. As Cuphead sat solemnly on the swing set, staring off into the sky, his brother approached him in a manner that was both nervous and assertive, trying as delicately as possible to address the glaring elephant in the room.

"C-C-Cuphead," Mugman uttered. "A-Are you ready to finally talk now?"

Cuphead sighed, his head now facing down. On any other day, Mugman would've rightfully taken this as a subtle, yet clear, "no." Nonetheless, he could no longer stand wallowing in hesitation, and remained persistant. "Cuphead, _please._ We can't keep going on like this."

Mugman sat on the adjacent swing. "If we don't hear each other out, then w-we'll be too sad to eat, play, or do pretty much anything."

Cuphead remained still, but his face made a grimace, his eyes shutting tight as they brimmed with tears. His mind was practically screaming at every muscle in his body to let him walk away again, or, at the very least, allow for any sort of movement beyond trembling and staggering breathing. Alas, the inner turmoil that had been festering inside Cuphead had now brought him into a state of psychological paralysis. All the anxiety, sadness, and loneliness he'd been trying to brush off had now ensnared him like quicksand.

Noticing the rising tension, Mugman slowly reached his hand for that of his brother. "Cuphead, what's the matter? I wanna help you."

The moment Mugman lay one finger on his hand, Cuphead suddenly found the strength to become mobile again. With a deep breath and a heavy gulp, he jerked up from his swing, staring down at his startled sibling.

"I'm sorry, Mug," he answered firmly, "I'm sorry I've been so distant. I didn't mean to make you feel like I didn't care about you or anything."

"Aw, Cuphead, you didn't-"

Mugman stopped. His heartfelt response immediately froze from the sudden chill in his brother's voice. "But...but I think I finally know how to fix everything, and get our lives back to the way they were. I'm..." He paused, mustering the last bit of strength to speak his mind. "I'm gonna get Elder Kettle back!"

Mugman gasped. "Cuphead, no! Y-you can't do that! Elder Kettle is dea-"

"I KNOW!" Cuphead screamed, taking a few breaths to regain stability in his voice. "I mean, he may be now, b-but as long as we have things like ghosts and angels and soul contracts in this world, I am never gonna rule out the possibility that he _could_ come back!"

Mugman stood beside Cuphead, a familiar feeling of danger creeping inside him. "Cuphead, for once, be _reasonable!_ Y-You almost gambled our souls for the Devil; who knows what'll happen if you-"

 _"Reasonable?!"_ Cuphead shouted, taken aback. "Why don't you, for once, be willing to take a risk for something you want? We've spent way too much time with Elder Kettle to just give up on him now! Don't you even _want_ to see him again?!"

"Of course I do!" Mugman's voice started hardening as well. "But this...i-it just doesn't feel right!"

"Fine, be that way! Sit here at home, and do nothing like a coward!"

Cuphead paused. Mugman's expression looked like a twisted combination of hurt and enraged. As he turned his back on him, Cuphead softened his tone a bit. "Trust me, Mug. This is the only way we're gonna be happy again. And don't worry; I won't let you down. I won't stop until I've set everything right for all three of us!"

The second he finished that declaration, Cuphead smoke-dashed away, making a beeline for the woods of Inkwell Isle I.

Mugman tried hurriedly to catch up with him. "Cuphead, wait! Come back!"

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the forest became too dense with foliage to safely smoke-dash any farther. Before he knew it, Cuphead was already out of sight.

Mugman's mind turned into an emotional roller coaster. Knowing his brother's hasty nature, he simply knew that what Cuphead had proposed was another one of his terrible ideas. Granted, much of Inkwell Isles' laws of nature didn't make sense to begin with. After all, this was a place where a queen bee could summon floating triangles, a giant mermaid could live while decapitated, and, as Cuphead had pointed out, there were even many ghosts and skeletons roaming freely in their afterlife! Nevertheless, nothing along such lines had appeared to come to fruition in Elder Kettle's case. If he wasn't meant to be seen among the living, it was most likely that, like everything else in Inkwell Isle, it was better to not question it, and simply accept it as part of reality. The last time Cuphead tried to defy that rule, the Devil very nearly took their heads.

Also, despite the danger he knew would be at hand, there was a part of Mugman that wondered why he should bother saving Cuphead at all? How dare he accuse him of not caring about their beloved grandfather! He was every bit as upset over the loss as his brother was; how does wanting to move forward make him a coward? This was a new low, even for someone who carelessly gambled both their souls to the Devil. If Cuphead were to suffer, it's what he deserves for being such a jerk...right?

Mugman then shook his head, rationality and common sense catching up with him. _Cuphead's in trouble,_ he spoke in his mind. _None of these arguments matter right now. I gotta make sure he stays safe, now more than ever._ Not hesitating a minute longer, Mugman followed the path his brother took, his tear-soaked eyes now glaring with determination.

An unnerving aura permeated the isles as a blood-red sunset turned Mugman's body into a bold silhouette. As much as he wanted to put his mental turmoil to rest, he had to put his grief aside if he wanted to keep family from getting any smaller than it already was.


	2. Fear or Favor

Mugman was getting tired and frustrated. He and Cuphead have traveled the Isles so many times that, by now, they should feel like a backyard to him. This should be especially true for a few acres of forest that sparsely dotted around Isle I. Unfortunately, it would be easy for anybody to get lost if they'd forgotten whether or not they had passed the same tree or bush twenty times. To the causal bystander, such as Mugman, the woods looked the same everywhere he turned.

Of course, it wasn't just Mugman's flimsy sense of direction that made this ordeal so challenging. The way he was constantly walking around in circles matched perfectly with the chaos circling his mind; the irritation from being lost coupled with rising concern for his brother's well-being. _C'mon, Mug,_ his internal voice shouted, _pull yourself together! You gotta find a way out of here before something happens to Cuphead!_

Little did the panicking cup realize, the day was waning fast. In a matter of minutes, the sun had fully set, leaving a vibrant shade of dark-blue and purple sweeping across the sky. Mugman jumped back in distress. Now, getting out of the forest was going to be even harder with no sun to light his way. Suddenly, he'd remembered something else about the day turning into night. Gazing through a large gap in the treetops, Mugman could see a dear friend transforming her mechanical body into a functioning crescent moon.

"HILDA!" He tried getting a better look by climbing to the top of the nearest tree. "HILDA, OVER HERE!"

Though he was barely audible, Hilda Berg could recognize the tiny blue and grey figure sticking out from one of the trees, and flew down toward him, switching back into her human blimp form while treading air via unicycle.

"Mugman?! What are you doing out here?"

"I-I've been trying to find Cuphead!" The frightened mug stammered. "He-he said he was gonna try and bring Elder Kettle back to life, and I got lost in the woods tryin' to find him!"

"What?!" Hilda gasped. "Bring Elder Kettle back?!"

"Yeah!" Mugman nodded. "He didn't say where he was goin' or how he was gonna do it, but I told him I didn't think it was a good idea, a-and he got so mad that he ran away!"

Hilda covered her mouth in surprise. "You don't think that he might've gone to..."

"I sure hope not. We promised Elder Kettle we'd _never_ resort to that!"

"Well don't you worry," Hilda answered firmly. "I'll send out an aerial squad to spread the word about your brother going missing."

She then reached out her hand. "Here, let's get you out of here first."

Holding Mugman by his arms, Hilda zipped out of the overhead of the forest, and safely dropped him off by the nearest exit, where Cagney Carnation and Moe Tato happened to be chatting. The second they noticed Mugman, they dashed toward him and Hilda in the blink of an eye.

"Hilda? Mugman? What's going on?" Cagney asked.

"Cuphead's gone missing," Hilda explained. "And is most likely in danger again. We need everyone to help search the isles, and make sure he's all right."

Moe Tato gave a bold salute. "You got it, miss Berg! I'll let da rest of da pack know, and send a search party underground."

With that, Moe shot himself right back under the grass, forming a gopher-like tunnel in his path.

Cagney reached out a leafy hand, and gently placed Mugman on his stem, as though he were riding on horseback. "Mugman, I'll help you look around on foot...er, on root, I should say."

Hilda gave a firm nod. "Hang in there, Mugman. We'll find your brother in no time."

Though the smile was forced, Mugman's gratitude was genuine. "Thank you guys so much."

With a glare of determination, Hilda zipped back up into the air. She then blew a hearty whistle between her fingers, summoning a small group of Zeppelings to gather around her. She gave them a quick rundown of the situation, and pointed forward above them, ordering the tiny blimps to go forth with their mission. The Zeppelings scattered across the skies like leaves in the wind, hovering over each residency, and asking anyone nearby for assistance. At first, this seemed rather counterproductive, for these were the very same people that Cuphead and Mugman had previously battled for their soul contracts. No one would blame them for wanting to stay out of another situation that the boys had caused with their mischief. Remarkably, each and every one of Cuphead's friends wholeheartedly agreed to join in. He may have been quite the troublemaker around Inkwell Isle, but they'd be no better than the Devil himself to turn a blind eye on a child who was most in need of their help. Before long, the search party had grown exponentially, with folks like Wally Warbles and Grim Matchstick soaring the skies, Cala Maria and Captain Brineybeard scaling the high seas, and virtually everyone on land looking within the streets and forests.

Cagney, joining the third trifecta of the team, crawled across the ground with his roots, as though they were a mass of tentacles from an octopus. He also used them to lift every tree, rock, and bush in case Cuphead was trying to hide.

Mugman repeatedly helped Cagney call his brother's name, but the longer they searched, the more the troubled cup's anxiety and sadness grew. He'd been trying his best to maintain his composure in light of the dire circumstances at hand. Paradoxically, it was this pressing effort to conceal his emotions that made him dwell on them even more.

Cagney took a moment to address his passenger. "Do you remember where you last saw Cuphead?"

"We were both at home out in the backyard." Mugman explained. "We got into an argument, and he got so mad at me that he ran off without telling me where he was going. I tried looking in the woods, but I ended up getting lost instead."

"Any idea on where you think he might've gone?"

"Well," Mugman struggled to keep his voice from quivering, "he-he said he wanted to try and bring Elder Kettle back to life, a-and since folks like Djimmi and Dr Kahl couldn't help us keep him alive-"

Cagney's eyes nearly popped out of his pollen-filled skull. "Whoa whoa whoa whoa; bring Elder Kettle back to _life?!"_

Mugman nodded. "Yeah, and I'm real worried that he's gonna resort to asking...y'know..."

Cagney gasped. "Maybe we ought to go straight to the Casino then!"

Mugman sniffled. "P-Please don't be mad at Cuphead for this!"

Cagney stopped, not out of offense for what Mugman had just said, but out of the idea that there may have been some truth to it. The fiery flower was known to have quite the temper, but had it truly gotten so bad that it could scare off a grieving child? He certainly made no attempt to quell his outrage when he battled Cuphead and Mugman over his soul contract, which could have easily been avoided if he'd just given it to them quietly. In this regard, nobody could blame Mugman for being afraid to ask Cagney for help, especially if it involved the Devil's dirty work. Now was as good a time as any to show the poor mug that he knew better than that.

Cagney turned his head up, ready to respond, but then stopped to hear what Mugman had to say. The young cup did his best to stifle his sobbing, but it only made him further trip over his words.

"I-I know he-he can be careless sometimes, b-but he's not doing it just to m-make money or anything. I swear! He just really...I think he just wants..."

Ironically, as Mugman tried harder to defend his brother, his harsh words from their earlier confrontation pierced like a sword's thrust.

 _"Fine, be that way! Sit here and do nothing like a coward!"_

 _"Why can't you, for once, take a risk for something you want?!"_

 _"Don't you even_ want _to see Elder Kettle again?!"_

By the time Mugman snapped out of his trance, Cagney had placed him on the ground, giving the child a warm hug.

"I'm not mad at all, Mugman," the flower cooed. "I won't be happy if he _does_ deal with the Devil again, but I understand his intentions this time, and the last thing you boys need is someone losing their temper when you need help the most."

At that kind sentiment and warm embrace, Mugman fully succumbed to his sadness, and buried his face in Cagney's shoulder, weeping hysterically. Part of him felt like kicking himself for giving in to his emotions in the midst of trying to save Cuphead. By the same token, there was no way Mugman could move forward without getting this crippling depression out of his system.

After a minute of letting himself cry, Mugman finally got his words back. "I'm really scared, Cagney! I-I've been trying my best to keep our family together, but Cuphead j-just keeps getting mad at me, and now, it feels like everything's falling apart!" Mugman sniffled. "I miss Elder Kettle so much."

Cagney gently stroked his back. "Me, too, Mug. He was a good man with a big heart, and I'm sure he means the world to you and Cuphead."

Mugman whimpered. "Yeah. I mean I know he was really old, but...maybe-maybe we didn't do enough to save him..."

"Aw, no, Mugman, no no no no." Cagney let go to look at the distraught child straight in the eye. "Elder Kettle didn't pass away because of something you or anyone else did wrong. It's a part of life that we all have to face sooner or later. Even fellas who _can't_ die, like Djimmi or Dr Kahl's robot, will eventually have to say goodbye to someone they really care about."

Cagney then gave Mugman a small smile. "But, y'know, just because Elder Kettle is dead doesn't that he's gone forever."

Mugman's raised an eyelid, as though it were an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

His smile growing, Cagney gently placed Mugman near his garden. "You see all those flowers? Every year, they all wither away at some point or another. Some burn up from too much sun; others drown with too much rain; the worst of all is when the winter comes in, and it gets far too cold for any plant to grow at all."

Mugman's lowered his head in sadness, but quickly perked back up at as Cagney continued.

" _But,_ no matter when, where, or how they die, new flowers will always grow back in the spring, sometimes blooming and blossoming even more than they were before."

Mugman rubbed his eye. "That's really nice and all, but what's that got to do with Elder Kettle?"

"Well, for many of us, life is a lot like flowers. Where one thing ends or dies, something new grows out of it, and more often than not, they're really _good_ things."

Cagney summoned a patch of roots to spring up from under the ground, and morphed them into shapes and figures, as though they were extra hands presenting the ultimate puppet show.

"If it's too rainy to play outside, you have fun playing indoors. If one friend is too busy, you can spend the day with someone else. If the Devil tries to take your soul, you can enjoy beating the stuffing out of him." Mugman giggled, especially at the roots that were shaped to look like Cuphead and Mugman literally kicking the Devil's buttocks.

With a sad sigh, Cagney formed a root shaped like Elder Kettle. "Losing Elder Kettle _is_ a lot harder, and no matter how much time has gone by, you'll never completely stop missing him."

Cagney put a hand back on Mugman's shoulder. "But when you remember the things he taught you, and all the good times you had with him, then Elder Kettle will _always_ be with you."

Mugman folded his arms. "That's what everybody says, but it's not the same as him being here in person."

"It never will be the same, but there's one part of Elder Kettle that'll never die: his _love,_ especially for you and Cuphead."

As Cagney portrayed his scenario with more roots, a small smile grew across Mugman's face. "As long you and your brother stay close together, caring for each other just like how Elder Kettle did, that's his love living inside the two of you. If you can keep _that_ alive, then he's never really left you at all."

Cagney finished his touching speech by shaping his roots to look like Cuphead and Mugman's smiling heads, with a heart-shaped leaf hanging right above them. His smile growing and more tears brimming, Mugman hugged his dear friend once more. "Thank you, Cagney. That was really nice."

The friendly flower smiled back. "Anytime, kiddo. Anytime."

After a minute or so of cuddling, Mugman let go, glancing back up at Cagney. "I wish I could cheer Cuphead up like that. He hasn't been himself at all since Elder Kettle died."

"I've noticed. What does he say to you if you ask him about it?"

"He keeps saying he's fine, or that he wants to be alone, but, a few times, I've seen him get all shaky and sweaty a-and swallow really hard, like he was gonna throw up or something, which doesn't make sense considering he's barely eaten anything all week."

Cagney nodded. "Grief can have that kind of effect on people, even for someone as tough as Cuphead."

"Yeah, I'm sure that's a big part of it." Mugman stared down at the ground. "If only he'd just let me talk to him. I really wanna help him, but no matter how hard I try, he ignores me, or walks away from me, sometimes without even _looking_ at me. It's almost like Cuphead... _hates_ me."

Cagney clicked his tongue. "Aw, Mug, your brother doesn't hate you. In fact, I think I have a pretty good idea of what's going on here."

Mugman raised his eyelids. "What? What is it?"

"I don't think Cuphead's trying to run away from _you;_ he's trying to run away from his _problems,_ and, possibly, his own feelings."

Mugman pondered. "Ya mean like...instead of trying to deal with losing Elder Kettle, he'd rather just pretend that everything's ok?"

"Yeah, to an extent." Cagney lowered himself to Mugman's level. "It may not look like it, but I'm willin' to bet my petals that Cuphead's feeling just as sad and scared and lonely as you are. He might just be too afraid to let it show because it's too painful to think about it. Maybe he's also afraid that other people might judge him for the way he feels. Heck, you even asked _me_ not to get mad at Cuphead just a few minutes ago."

Mugman stared off for a moment, thinking hard. "...Now that you mention it, Cuphead does seem to care an awful lot about what other people think of him. That's why he tries so hard to be all cool and stuff; so he can get people to like him." Mugman's eyelids rose, realizing the implication. "N-Not that I think he's tryin' to be cool right now or anything. It's more like he's hiding something from me."

Cagney grinned. "Well then, maybe he needs to be with someone that he feels comfortable sharing his feelings with; someone who knows everything about him, good and bad, but still loves him anyway."

Catching on quick, Mugman's smile returned. "Yeah...you're right! If I can show Cuphead that it's ok to tell me how he really feels, then we can go back to feeling like a family again!"

Cagney reached out his hand. "C'mon, kiddo. Let's go save your brother."

"Yeah!" Mugman grabbed hold, riding back on Cagney's stem. As they sallied forth toward Isle II, a newfound focus and sense of determination locked firmly in Mugman's eyes.

 _Don't worry, brother. Everything's gonna be ok._


	3. Break Away & Break Down

Despite his friends' efforts to leave no stone unturned, Cuphead managed to escape their notice via smoke-dash between any bush, rock, or tree he could find. Even when Hilda made her rounds, he managed not to move a single muscle to avoid giving himself away.

The frightened child's breathing staggered, rivers of sweat running down his ceramic body. _They're_ all _after me,_ he spoke in his head. _They probably wanna stop me from trying to bring Elder Kettle back. Well, I'll show 'em, especially Mug. This is what's best for everyone._

The moment Hilda's back was turned, Cuphead smoke-dashed a few more times until he'd hidden in the shrubbery near the rebuilt Mausoleum I.

At first, Cuphead felt a chilling sense of deja vu as he climbed the stairs on tiptoe. Sure, the ghosts he and Mugman faced weren't much of a threat, but, without the legendary Chalice, coming back to the Mausoleum felt a lot less rewarding, generally speaking. Careful to avoid any rocks, spider webs, or bones laying around, he could see the beams of colored light emitting from the stained-glass window. The moment he reached the top, what sat before him nearly sent him back to psychological paralysis.

Where Chalice's urn once stood was that of his dearly departed grandfather. Its stout pot and shade of light-tan was chillingly identical to what his body once was. What made it stand out most, however, was a small, silver medallion attached to the base of the pot, depicting a detailed engraving of Elder Kettle's portrait in frontal view. The likeness, from the smiling mustache to his outline on the bas relief, was incredibly uncanny; so much so, in fact, for the first time in what felt like forever, Cuphead let a few tears trickle down his face.

"Elder Kettle!" The child bounded in excitement toward his grandfather's remains, and gently lifted the urn with the utmost care. Upon gazing at Elder Kettle's happy face on the medallion, Cuphead hugged the urn close, as though the man it was commemorating had just come back from the dead. After a minute or so reveling this semi-reunion, Cuphead looked back at the medallion, a smile growing across his tear-soaked face. "Oh, Elder...I've missed you so much. Don't worry; w-we'll get you back...a-and everything will be all right again..."

All of a sudden, a feeling of dread began to loom over the boy. A familiar array of voices echoed across the room, and a faint, pink light slowly cleared the darkness from right behind. Protectively holding the urn, Cuphead spun around, and nearly jumped back at what was approaching him; a terrifying throng of at least fifty members from the Spectre Syndicate!

With the urn back on the pedestal, another "spooky battle" was surely brewing. The ghosts were approaching Cuphead at an alarming rate, sometimes up to twenty at once! If this was some sort of game, then this usually-simple parry challenge had just been cranked beyond even the "expert" level. Nevertheless, Cuphead maintained constant vigilance, and put every ounce of energy and speed he had in each parry slap. On a few occasions, it would take the agile child a good three minutes before his feet could reach the ground again.

"Stop it!" Cuphead shouted, panting between parries. "What do you want with Elder Kettle?!"

"You have dared to intrude on a soul at rest!" One female shouted, circling around before being abruptly slapped.

The Giant ghost chimed in, continuing to speak Cuphead split him into two smaller ghosts. "So we're sorry to dampen your 'spirits...'"

The minute those ghosts were parried, a few bowler hat ones made their way. "So stop this foolish mission, boy!"

Female ghost again. "Because this path..."

Bowler hat. "Leads to..."

Then all the remaining ghosts chanted with malicious smiles. "A 'DEAD' END!"

As a cacophony of cackles circulated the crypt, Cuphead gritted his teeth, and pushed himself to jump and parry faster than ever. Despite his energy waning, and the mob only getting bigger, the courageous cup refused to show any sign of weakness against this pernicious pack of pink poltergeists.

~~~~

"Oh, puh- _leeze!"_

Djimmi, Croaks, Psycarrot, and Werner all stared in astonishment. Ordinarily, this sort of reaction would be from the mere fact that they were all standing before the Devil in his own office. Surprisingly, the response he'd just given them was even more worrying.

The Devil puffed out a black cloud with his cigar. "The soul of that goody-two shoes old-timer isn't worth so much as a passing glance. He's a pebble compared to all the other gold bricks in my casino."

"Ack!" Werner protested from his soup can tank. "Zat is a load of Blödsinn!"

"Yeah," Croaks added. "How do we know you're not just lyin' t'save face?"

The Devil smirked, reaching out his hand. "Mind if I take your souls so you can find out for yourselves?"

The pupils in Djimmi's eyes shrunk to the size of a pea. "Uh, no thanks, we're good!"

Quickly convinced, the four toons bolted for the exit, stopping by the nearest railroad tracks to catch their breath.

"Ok," Croaks panted. "I don't think the Devil was lyin' to us for once."

"Well," Psycarrot added. "at least we know that Cuphead hasn't surrendered his soul to him. I doubt the Devil would be inclined to keep _that_ a secret."

"Ja ja," Werner chimed in. "Zat is all vell and gut, but vhere else could ze kind have run off to?"

Djimmi scratched his head. "...Hey, Frog Face, where did you say Elder Kettle was buried again?"

~~~~

No sooner did Cagney and Mugman reach the top of the Ferris wheel than an orange biplane with a turquoise turban made its way toward the child. It was also carrying a certain rat, frog, and carrot in its passenger seats.

"Mugman! Mugman!" Djimmi shouted, his voice somewhat nasally from his propeller nose. "We got a tip off that Cuphead was goin' for the Mausoleum! Climb aboard!"

With one wing of the plane forming a human hand, Mugman promptly grabbed hold, and the flight on Djimmi airlines sped off.

"Keep going, Mugman!" Cagney called out below. "I'll alert the others, and meet you there!"

~~~~

By the time he'd reached what felt like was his 100th ghost, Cuphead's jump had diminished into a lethargic hop. Every inch of his pottery and clothes were soaked in sweat, with his numerous chips, bruises, and scratches exacerbating his condition. Scattered around the floor lay empty vials and cases of every charm in his inventory, having consumed them right down to the last grain of P Sugar. Despite his mass intake in sustenance, it still managed to leave the cup's head pale-faced, and its contents completely dry.

Despite his staggering run and blurred vision, Cuphead doggedly persisted. "No...can't...stop now..."

After one more parry slap from a giant ghost, Cuphead's foot landed in an empty canister of Whetstone, sending his arms flailing while the rest of him tumbled to the base of the pedestal. He elbowed into it in his feeble attempt to stand up, but had just enough energy left to catch the urn in his arms before it could hit the floor.

Just barely maintaining consciousness, Cuphead's energy had completely drained, his body weighing him down to the floor. With the rest of his body laying weakly, and the ghosts ganging up on him, it seemed all Cuphead could do now was wrap the urn in his arms, turn his head away, and scream to the heavens with his eyes shut tight, _"NOOOO!"_

 _WHAP-WHAP-WHAP-WHAP-WHAP!_

Cuphead gasped. Where he should have succumbed to a shroud of darkness, he was instead greeted by his brave, bold, and breathlessly bouncing brother.

 _"Mugman?!"_

"Hang in there, Cup!" He responded between parries. "We're gonna get you out of here!"

Cuphead gazed in amazement as Mugman cleared a ring of fifty ghosts in a single minute.

"GET! YOUR! HANDS! OFF! MY! BROTHER!"

Once there was a clearing in the room, Hilda Berg, in human form, cradled Cuphead in her arms, and made a mad dash toward the exit downstairs. Unfortunately, she only got about mid-way before tripping on the steps with her high heal shoes, using her body to shield Cuphead as they bounced to the bottom like a rubber ball.

After a second or two of groaning in pain, Mugman followed suit. "They're coming this way! RUN!"

Cuphead gasped with horror as the pink ghosts charged forth en masse, leaving no space between them unoccupied.

"Return the urn, or it's death you shall earn!"

Hilda did a double-take at Cuphead's arms and the ghosts. "The urn?!"

The mechanical maiden's eyes popped again, an idea coming to mind that was both convincing and nauseating at the same time "Cuphead, put the urn down! It's the only way to stop the ghosts!"

"WHAT?!" Cuphead screamed, hugging his grandfather's container again. "NO! I can't! I'm not ready to lose Elder Kettle again!"

Hilda felt the tears brim in her eyes as well. "I know, and I hate to ask you to do this, but there's no time! Mugman can't hold them off much longer!"

Cuphead did a few double takes, repeatedly switching between the ghosts crowding Mugman, and Elder Kettle's remains. The heartbroken child took one more hard look at what was left of his grandpa. With his teeth gritting and his eyes welling up, Cuphead gently placed the urn back on the floor. The second it touched the ground, Hilda sprinted for the exit without even looking back. Cuphead rested over her shoulder, his eyes fixated on Elder Kettle's remains growing farther and farther away. By the time they'd left the building, all he could see from such a distance was a group of round, pink shapes stopping near it.

Hilda and Cuphead were the first to escape, with Mugman following a few feet behind. Despite the fact that they were no longer being chased, the three refused to slow down until they'd reached an open field about a hundred feet away, where a massive crowd of all their friends began to cheer for their safe return.

The first few seconds of the reunion were a bombardment everyone shouting "We did it!", "You're all right!", "Are you ok?" or "Are you hurt?" Hilda responded with tired nods, and Mugman with warm hugs and handshakes. Cuphead continued to stare off in the distance, until, at long last, it happened. After spending a week of keeping them bottled up, all the anxiety, misery, and loneliness he'd been holding back had violently erupted in a heartbreaking...

 _ **"AAAHHHHHH!"**_

The entire crowd falling silent, Cuphead dropped on all fours, bawling in agony like they'd never seen him before. Hilda knelt beside him, gently rubbing his back as he wept. Ordinarily, the average bystander would find such an intense breakdown rather alarming, and they would promptly, and rightfully, ask what was the matter. Here, not one person even entertained on the idea. They knew _exactly_ why Cuphead was crying, if not in full detail, then at least in the general sense. Asking him to explain or justify his emotions wouldn't have done him any good. At the moment, what this poor child needed was plenty of space and time to get all the pain out of his system. It was the only thought occupying his mind; any other was mere background noise.

Mugman raced back to his sibling's side, immediately embracing him. This time, Cuphead made no effort to deny or resist his brother's offer for comfort. In fact, what Mugman saw before him was the exact opposite. His confident, heroic, tough-as-nails twin had fully surrendered to the vulnerable little boy that he still was deep down. As though hanging on for dear life, Cuphead clung onto Mugman tight, his body trembling from being shaken physically as well as emotionally.

"It's ok, Cuphead." Mugman sobbed. "It's ok. I gotcha. It'll be all right. You're safe now."

"I'm so sorry, Mugman!" Cuphead wailed. "I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have tried to ignore you o-or run away or anything! I didn't mean to hurt you or anybody else!"

Mugman gave him a few pats on the back. "It's all right, brother. Y-You don't have to apologize. Just let it all out; get it all out your system. Take as much time as you need; I ain't goin' anywhere."

After a moment of nothing but sobbing, Cuphead was ready to make his nerve-wracking confession. "It's _hopeless,_ Mugman! I-I _never_ be able to move on from Elder Kettle! He-He was always so kind a-and caring, e-even when we got into trouble! I'll never be ready to say goodbye to someone like him! I can't take it anymore; I just _can't!"_

Mugman sniffed. "Is-Is that what you've been feeling all this time?"

"Yes!" Cuphead sobbed. "I didn't wanna tell you 'cause I didn't wanna make you feel worse than you already were. I-I wanted you to think that-that I was gonna come up with a plan, and save the day again...but I ended up letting you down instead! Now, I dunno what to do anymore! I just want Elder Kettle back!"

His heart breaking from his brother's words, Mugman struggled to remain articulate through his sobbing. "M-Me, too, Cup. I don't wanna say goodbye to him either. He was the best grandpa in the whole world. I wish he were giving us more hugs and smiles, a-and telling us everything's gonna be ok." Mugman hiccuped. "But-but you didn't let me down or anything. I-If Elder Kettle really is gone for good, all I want now is for my brother to be safe and sound."

At that, both boys were too upset to think of anything else to say. All they could do now was sit there, hugging and weeping for each other.

With her face wet with tears as well, Hilda wrapped her arms around Cuphead and Mugman, forming a group hug. She not only wept for their painful ordeal, but for making a child like Cuphead make a decision that would scar him for life. Cagney arched down to the boys' level, joining in the hug. Several more followed suit, like Djimmi, the Root Pack, Ribby, Croaks, and even Baroness Von Bon Bon. After her, more tearful friends stepped forward, the group growing until it became a full crowd of mourning masses. The only exceptions were anyone who was either too big, like Grim Matchstick and Cala Maria, too small, such as Werner, or who simply didn't know Elder Kettle or the boys well enough to have much to grieve over, like Dr Kahl or the Phantom Express. Those unable to join the hug simply lowered their heads in respect, and anyone wearing a hat or tiara held it over their hearts.

In spite of this moment being one of solemnness and sorrow, there was a remarkable aura of profoundness to it, even more than the psuedo-funeral they had attended last week. The hearts of every individual present were aching, and yet, there was something about this same heartache that was bringing everyone together. This was especially true for Cuphead, who no longer perceived grief as a time of desolation and despair. No matter how well everyone knew his late grandfather, it was the powerful feeling of shared pain and sympathy that was unifying people from all walks of life, if not for Elder Kettle, then certainly with the scenario of two lovable children losing their only parental figure. With every person beside them mourning in solidarity, lending all eyes and ears to the sobbing Mugman and wailing Cuphead, it was arguably the most sincere and heartfelt moment in the history of Inkwell Isle.


	4. See You Later

By well into the midnight hour, it was time for life to resume as usual. While everyone else had gone back home, and Hilda resuming her duties as the moon, Cuphead and Mugman made a safe return back to their cottage. There was much more they wanted to get off their chest, but they were far too exhausted from their rescue mission and crying spell to dwell on it any further. After briefly bandaging Cuphead's wounds and damaged china, the boys slipped into the deepest, most lucid slumber they'd had since the night they defeated the Devil.

The next day, Mugman went right to work nursing his brother back to health. While Cuphead sat up on the sofa, Mugman provided every healing remedy he could find in the house: a fluffy quilt, a first aid kit, a rubber ice pack for his brother's head, a mug of warm tea, and a small bowl full of warm veggie broth. As Mugman stood beside him, mending a few loose bandages, Cuphead slurped up his soup straight from the bowl.

"Man, I can't believe I forgot how good it feels to start eating again."

Mugman smiled. "You can have all the soup you want, brother. You'll need it to get your strength back after going hungry for a week."

"Yeah. For once, eating like Porkrind won't actually be _bad_ for me." Cuphead chuckled, and took a gentle sip of his warm tea.

Once Mugman had finished mending his wounds, he sat back on the couch. "All done. They should be completely healed by tomorrow."

"Thanks." Cuphead responded with a forced smile. As he glanced back up at his brother again, his expression switched to that of anxiety. "Hey, Mug? Can I ask you a question?"

Mugman frowned, placing one hand on Cuphead's shoulder. "Of course you can, Cup. What is it?"

Cuphead took a deep breath. "What _are_ we gonna do now? Where do we go from here now that Elder Kettle's gone? I'm getting tired of being so sad all the time, but I don't wanna just forget about Elder Kettle either. I dunno if I can really ever be 100% happy again without him..."

Mugman gently rubbed his brother's back. "I dunno if I can either, but we can't let that stop us from living our own lives again either."

Cuphead sniffed back a tear. "I just wish there was a way we could at least visit him again, instead of those stupid ghosts-"

 _KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!  
_  
The boys jolted up in alarm. "I'll get it." Mugman got up from his seat, and opened the door to find a sleepy, but smiling, Hilda Berg at the doorway.

"Hello, boys. I hope I'm not intruding..."

"Oh no, you're not, Hilda. Is everything ok? You look awfully tired."

Hilda yawned. "Yes, I am up rather early after my nightly moon duties, but your friends and I had a thorough discussion the other night, and we've got a surprise for you and your brother that we think you're going to love."

"A _surprise?"_

The boys followed Hilda around the house to their backyard, and they gasped at what they saw before them. All the residents of Inkwell Isle had returned, greeting Cuphead and Mugman with warm smiles. Once they saw them approaching, they cleared the way around the center, revealing something that made the boys' eyes well up with joy. There was a large, round tombstone planted in the grass, surrounded by an arrangement of colorful, blossoming bouquets. There were also two bold words engraved in its center that the boys cheerfully, and tearfully, read out loud. "Elder Kettle!"

Cuphead and Mugman rushed over to the gravesite, carefully hugging the tombstone without disturbing it. They then hugged each of their friends nearby, such as Djimmi, Cagney, Hilda, and the Root Pack.

"Thank you, guys!" Mugman sobbed. "That was really nice of you."

"Wait," Cuphead queried. "Does that mean Elder Kettle's urn is out of the mausoleum?"

"Yup," Djimmi nodded. "We had a pretty firm talk with those ghosts."

"And we agreed," Hilda added, "that it'd be much better if we moved it to a place where you two, or anybody else, could visit him whenever they wanted."

"I-I bet he'd be much happier being closer to you guys, too." Weepy nodded, a bit more verklempt than usual.

Cuphead's smile grew, glancing at everyone around him. "Thank you all so much. That-that's all I really wanted when I tried going into the mausoleum last night."

"We had a feeling." Cagney grinned, giving Cuphead another hug.

Mugman gazed back at his grandfather's grave. "This is wonderful. Now it won't feel so much like saying goodbye anymore."

"You never had to, boys." Djimmi chimed in. "Y'know, you learn a lot of things from being over a thousand years old, and one of them is the _real_ secret to moving on when someone dies."

Cuphead and Mugman leaned in close with anxiousness as Djimmi went on. "The truth is...you never really _do_ move on."

The boys' eyes popped. _"Huh?!"_

"I know, it sounds confusing, but hear me out for a minute. Have you ever noticed how, when someone tells you to 'move on,' it usually means, or at least sounds like, they want you to forget all about something?"

Mugman pondered. "...I suppose so."

"Now that may work for getting over a bad day, or breaking up with a crazy girlfriend, but you two will never forget about Elder Kettle, right?"

 _"No! Never!"_ The boys shouted in unison.

Djimmi chuckled. "It's all right, kids; just being rhetorical. Anyway, my point is..." He then got down on one knee. "You two never needed to feel like you had to go the rest of your lives without thinking about Elder Kettle. If I or anybody else here ever made you feel that way, we do apologize."

"No no, it's ok," Mugman reassured. "Nobody _told_ us to feel that way; we just thought that that was what we were _supposed_ to do."

Djimmi's smile returned. "Well, I think you two will feel much better about the whole thing if you keep making Elder Kettle a part of your lives forever. You can visit his grave site and tell him about your day, o-or you can reflect on the good things he did for ya, just to give a few examples. Anything that helps keep his memory alive also keeps him alive within you."

Cuphead wiped a tear from his eye. "Won't doing that kind of stuff just make us feel sad?"

"It very well may, but there'll _always_ be some part of you that feels sad about Elder Kettle. You two will miss him no matter what, so, instead of trying to fight it, it's better to _let_ yourself feel that way. The more time you take to let your feelings out, the less those feelings will hurt over time. Plus, it'll be much easier to keep enjoying life without holding on to the emotional baggage."

Mugman winked, gently elbowing his brother. "See? I told ya." Cuphead chuckled in response.

"I understand if this doesn't seem to make sense now. You _are_ still kids after all, and you're more than welcome to keep coming back to me, or any of us, if you need someone to talk to. Just remember, as long as you and Elder Kettle remain a part of each other (and he _always_ will), then the _three_ of you will be together forever. That's something you'll _never_ have to move on from, even if you wanted to."

Cuphead smiled, his face wet with tears. "I don't think we ever will."

"Aww, c'mere." With that, Djimmi gave the boys a warm genie hug, and various other friends joined in.

After a minute, everyone let go, and Baroness Von Bon Bon's spoke up. "You know, I think this calls for a royal banquet at my palace. What say you, boys?"

Cuphead and Mugman's faces lit up. "Hot dog, we'd _love_ to!"

The baroness chuckled. "Splendid! Onward, everyone!"

The crowd started to break away from the boys' backyard, heading south for the exit to Inkwell Isle II. After about a hundred feet, Cuphead and Mugman both stopped, looking back at Elder Kettle's grave. A bittersweet feeling of hope and sadness swept across their faces. Though the brothers were still very much in mourning, there was a tremendous sense of relief knowing they no longer had to feel completely isolated from their grandfather.

With sad smiles and another trickle of tears, Cuphead and Mugman ran back to hug the tombstone again. Before running back to catch up with their friends, instead of saying "goodbye," Cuphead stated his and Mugman's thoughts to Elder Kettle in a much more accurate way:

"We'll see you later."

~~~~

 **The End**


End file.
